ACU students to give new DRI facilities a housewarming party

For immediate release
Feb. 25, 2003

After purchasing a new home, residents know that home must be furnished. Disability Resources, Inc. is opening two new homes, and the students of the communication sciences and disorders division at Abilene Christian University want to help them with this.

The students are planning a housewarming party for DRI on Wednesday, Feb. 26, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Don Morris Building, Room 117. The event will be come-and-go and will allow anyone to view the items students have donated to furnishing the new homes of DRI. The Abilene community is invited to attend, to wish DRI well and celebrate the opening of the new facilities.

Bill Brant, president and CEO of DRI, commented on the furnishings provided by ACU students, saying, "These are the things most people don't realize you need to start a house but are used every day. We're very, very blessed to have our good friends at the speech and hearing clinic help us with this."

The ACU Speech and Hearing Clinic services some of the clients of DRI, which provides homes for developmentally disabled individuals. When the students of the communication sciences and disorders division of ACU heard DRI was in the process of opening two new homes, they knew they wanted to help, said Denise Barnett, instructor of communication at ACU.

"DRI is such a wonderful facility, and we just feel they are incredibly worthy of anything we can do to help them. Providing these items will be such a financial help to Disability Resources, Inc. and its clients," Barnett said.

After talking with the staff of DRI, Barnett recognized a need for home furnishings, such as kitchen, bath and bedroom items, and the students started collecting items from measuring spoons to coffee makers. They have collected at least 75 items so far.

"We hope that if people see how easy it is to do something to help, they will want to do the same thing. You never know when you're going to spark an idea, and we feel this is a perfect example of how easy it is to get involved in missions at home," Barnett said.